North Korea rejected US allegations that it is developing biological weapons, saying that the claim is part of Washington’s scheme to stifle the regime, according to a Yonhap report, on Wednesday.
In President Donald Trump’s first National Security Strategy released on Monday, North Korea was accused of pursuing chemical and biological weapons that can also be delivered by missile.
“The DPRK, as a state party to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), maintains its consistent stand to oppose development, manufacture, stockpiling and possession of biological weapons,” North Korea’s Institute for American Studies, which is affiliated with the foreign ministry, was quoted as saying by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The institute added that the “groundless” claims by US experts and media is nothing but the country’s move to isolate Pyongyang and justify its sanctions and pressure on the regime.
“The more the US clings to the anti-DPRK stifling move … the more hardened the determination of our entire military personnel and people to take revenge will be,” the report said.
Earlier, on Wednesday, US called on the UN Security Council to blacklist 10 ships for circumventing sanctions on North Korea.
The 10 vessels had reportedly been conducting ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum products to North Korean vessels or transporting North Korean coal in violation of UN sanctions imposed over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes. (ChannelNewsAsia)